Platform Imaginaries: the construction of imaginaries by Chinese e-commerce platforms

This paper explores the concept of 'platform imaginaries' in the context of Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Douyin. It is argued that data culture and algorithms are fundamental in the construction of social imaginaries that shape consumer perceptions and behaviors and, thus, the work discusses how digital platforms, by presenting themselves as neutral and facilitating entities, exert control and influence the consumption journey through systematic collection, algorithmic processing and data monetization. While consumers share their data for a personalized shopping experience and benefits such as relevant recommendations and fluidity in the journey, platforms use this data to align user behavior with their own interests.